No Fear to Be Found

Chances are that you’ve heard “Chandelier” by now, and there’s an even greater chance you’ve seen the various videos of Sia performing the song without showing her face.  The album that goes with the song is the singer’s sixth in the studio.  After a long career of being both performer and songwriter, she’s back and releasing this album, 1000 Forms of Fear.

Much like the lead single, “Chandelier,” the album is full of the dramatic sound.  From the six minute closing track, “Dressed In Black,” to “Fire Meet Gasoline,” the songs require an equally large voice.  Sia has that and more.  While she does strain to reach some of the notes, it only adds to the anthems.  Dressed in an electro-pop vibe, each song has an empowering feel to it.

“Burn the Pages” is all about a new start and forgetting the past.  “Yesterday is dead and gone and so today / Place your past into a book / burn the pages / Let ’em cook.”  The tracks fit the title— each one deals with overcoming something.  The tracks sound similar in their instrumentation as a whole, but each has various elements that set it apart from the other.

While most songs are big, dramatic, and slower in tempo, there are a few fast tracks that show a more upbeat side of the singer.  “Free the Animal” has a quicker-paced chorus from the other tracks, but still features the characteristics of the singer: the strain in her voice, a slight slur and laziness in her singing.  “Detonate me / Shoot me like a cannon ball / Granulate me / Kill me like an animal / Decapitate me / Hit me like a baseball / Emancipate me / Free the animal, free the animal.”

The final track, “Dressed In Black,” is another track with a large dramatic flair.  The song is the rebirth of a person.  Fitting for the ending of the album.  “I had given up / I didn’t know who to trust / So I designed a shell / Kept me from Heaven and Hell.” Ultimately, Sia releases an album that has nothing to fear.